Cutting cables: the war being waged under the sea
Two undersea cables were cut in the Baltic sea, sparking concern for the global network

"Hybrid warfare." It's a term that's bandied around with increasing regularity of late, said Pierre Haski on France Inter (Paris) – and for good reason. In the past two years, we've seen explosions destroy the Nord Stream gas pipelines linking Russia and Germany, a gas pipeline and two data cables cut by the anchor of a Chinese ship in the Gulf of Finland, and a whole series of what look likely to have been sabotage attacks in Germany, the UK and other countries.
But last week, we saw what appears to be a "particularly worrying" example of this new type of warfare: two undersea communications cables were cut within a few hours of each other in the Baltic Sea, one an internet link from Lithuania to Sweden, the other a telecommunications line linking Finland and Germany. It's just possible these cables were damaged accidentally by, say, a ship dragging its anchor. "But two cables cut within a few hours of each other leave little doubt" – and EU leaders were quick to blame "malicious actors", whom they allege are seeking new ways to undermine Western security.
The reason this is so alarming, said Jason Power on RTÉ (Dublin), is that undersea cables are "the backbone of global internet and communication systems". These fibre optic lines, typically between 0.8 and 1.2 inches thick and laid by slow-moving ships across thousands of miles of ocean, carry 99% of intercontinental internet traffic. Their capacity to "send data incredible distances almost instantly" makes them vital to almost all aspects of modern life – sending emails, conducting video calls, making card payments, watching videos online and so on. By disrupting the flow of data along them, hostile powers can "cripple" communication and commerce, creating chaos without having to resort to a direct military attack.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The cases in the Baltic haven't had an impact on that scale, said Fritz Espenlaub in BR24 (Ahaus): "both Finland and Sweden have numerous alternative data connections", so are well placed to deal with the failure of individual cables. What is worrying, though, is the increasing frequency with which cables in the area seem to be targeted – and the inability of Western governments to do much to stop it happening.
So who was behind the alleged Baltic sabotage? It might well have been Russia, said Anatol Lieven on UnHerd: the cutting of the cables coincided with the US authorising Ukraine to use long-range missiles deep inside Russian territory, and Vladimir Putin may have wanted to send a warning to Kyiv's allies in the West. But the more likely culprit appears to be a Chinese merchant ship, said Elisabeth Braw in Foreign Policy (Washington). Within hours of the second cable, the C-Lion1, being cut, the Chinese-flagged bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 had been identified as being of interest to authorities. It had left the Russian Baltic port of Ust-Luga on 15 November, two days before the first cable was cut. As it sailed towards the Atlantic it was followed by the Danish navy; it's now thought to have been detained by Danish officials. But Beijing denies any involvement, and since acts of sabotage by non-military ships are outside the remit of the UN's Convention on the Law of the Sea, Denmark has few clear options for how to proceed.
Nato and the EU have been discussing how better to protect undersea cables for years, said Falk Steiner in Deutschlandfunk (Berlin), as current measures are clearly inadequate. But there are no easy fixes, said Oliver Klein and Scarlett Sternberg in ZDF Heute (Mainz). Oceans cover 70% of the Earth's surface, and only 5% of them have been precisely mapped – so the big tech and telecom companies are laying cables deep underwater in uncharted territory, where law enforcement agencies lack the resources to monitor them.
Nato is at least trying to plug that gap, said Braw: in May, it held the first meeting of a new "Critical Undersea Infrastructure Network". But "the next time that saboteurs arrive – and they will – Nato's navies will face the same painful question" about how to respond. These vast networks of cables and pipelines were "products of our harmonious globalised age. Now they're the new front line."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Bondi stonewalls on Epstein, Comey in Senate face-off
Speed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi denied charges of using the Justice Department in service of Trump’s personal vendettas
-
October 8 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Wednesday’s political cartoons include evidence* of what causes autism, Donald Trump's enemy within and a CBS sacrifice
-
Frauds: ‘fantastically stylish’ crime heist caper is a ‘triumph’
The Week Recommends Suranne Jones and Jodie Whittaker play a pair of ex-cons planning one last job
-
US tipped to help Kyiv strike Russian energy sites
Speed Read Trump has approved providing Ukraine with intelligence for missile strikes on Russian energy infrastructure
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of Taiwan
In the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Moldova gives decisive win to pro-EU party
Speed Read The country is now on track to join the European Union within five years
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdown
IN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
Brazilian ‘bandit bill’ prompts mass protests over potential Bolsonaro pardon
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Efforts to evade consequences for an attempted coup and civic unrest have pushed thousands into the streets
-
Passing sentence in Brazil: the jailing of Jair Bolsonaro
In the Spotlight In convicting Brazil’s former president, its Supreme Court has sent a powerful message about democratic accountability – but the victory may be only temporary
-
Denmark’s record-setting arms purchase raises eyebrows and anxiety
IN THE SPOTLIGHT By eschewing American-made munitions for their European counterparts, the Danish government is bracing for Russian antagonism and sending a message to the West
-
What led to Poland invoking NATO’s Article 4 and where could it lead?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION After a Russian drone blitz, Warsaw’s rare move to invoke the important NATO statute has potentially moved Europe closer to continent-wide warfare